"English" as a degree covers two genuinely different tracks at many universities: literary studies (reading, analyzing, and writing critically about literature) and creative writing (producing original fiction, poetry, or nonfiction, often in a workshop format). Some departments blend the two loosely; others run them as near-separate programmes with different admissions criteria and faculty. Knowing which one you actually want — or whether you want a school strong in both — should shape your list before you even look at rankings. This guide covers the universities that stand out, and how the literature/creative-writing distinction should factor into your choice.
Top English Literature Programmes (QS World University Rankings by Subject — English Language and Literature)
A note before the table: exact rank order shifts year to year, and QS, THE, and US News weight research output, citations, and reputation surveys somewhat differently. The schools below appear consistently at or near the top across major subject rankings — treat this as "the group of schools that matter," not a fixed order. Check the current-year QS subject ranking for English Language and Literature directly before finalizing a list.
| University | Country | Notable For |
|---|---|---|
| University of Oxford | UK | Extremely broad period coverage; strong medieval to contemporary literature |
| University of Cambridge | UK | Rigorous critical tradition; strong in poetry and literary theory |
| Harvard University | USA | Broad strength; strong American literature faculty |
| Yale University | USA | Strong in literary theory and 20th-century literature |
| University of California, Berkeley | USA | Strong in American and postcolonial literature |
| Stanford University | USA | Strong creative writing programme alongside literary studies |
| Princeton University | USA | Strong in poetry and creative writing (Lewis Center) |
| University College London (UCL) | UK | Broad literary studies; strong modernist and contemporary focus |
| University of Edinburgh | UK | Strong Scottish and English literature; well-regarded creative writing MA |
| University of East Anglia (UEA) | UK | The originator of the modern creative writing MA; widely considered the top dedicated creative writing programme in the UK |
| University of Iowa | USA | Home of the Iowa Writers' Workshop — the most prestigious dedicated creative writing MFA in the US |
| University of Toronto | Canada | Broad literary studies strength; strong Canadian literature focus |
How to Choose: Criteria That Matter More Than Overall Rank
1. Literature Track vs. Creative Writing Track
This is the most important practical distinction in the field, and it's easy to overlook because both often sit under the same "English" department name.
| Track | What It Involves | Schools Often Cited as Strong |
|---|---|---|
| Literary studies / criticism | Close reading, literary theory, historical/critical analysis, research papers | Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Berkeley |
| Creative writing | Workshop-based writing of original fiction, poetry, or nonfiction | Iowa (MFA), UEA, Princeton, Stanford |
Some universities (Stanford, Princeton, UEA) genuinely excel at both and let students move between them; others are much stronger in one than the other. If creative writing is your actual goal, a school's overall "English" ranking can be a poor proxy — dedicated MFA and creative writing rankings (such as those tracking workshop programmes like Iowa's) are a better guide than general literature rankings.
2. Period and Genre Specialization
As with history, English departments are often built around individual scholars' specialties — medieval literature, Romanticism, postcolonial literature, contemporary fiction, and so on. If you already know your interest, check faculty publication lists directly rather than relying on overall department prestige alone.
3. Workshop Format and Class Size (Creative Writing Specifically)
For creative writing tracks, the format matters enormously: workshop size, how much one-on-one faculty mentorship is available, and whether the programme has a strong visiting-writer series or literary magazine affiliation. These factors vary widely even among top-ranked programmes and are worth researching directly through recent student and alumni accounts.
4. What Comes After
English literature is a classic flexible-humanities degree, and graduates commonly move into:
- Publishing — editorial, literary agency, and publishing house roles, often starting with internships during undergrad.
- Law school — English is one of the most common pre-law undergraduate majors, valued for close-reading and argumentation skills.
- Academia — graduate study (MA/PhD) toward a research or teaching career, though the academic job market is notably competitive.
- Journalism and media — writing, editing, and content roles across print, digital, and broadcast media.
Programme Length, Cost, and Other Practically Relevant Differentiators
Undergraduate English degrees typically run 3 years (UK, most of Europe, Australia) or 4 years (US, Canada). Creative writing MFAs are typically 2-3 years, often with funding (teaching assistantships, fellowships) at top programmes like Iowa's — funded MFA spots are highly competitive but can make the real cost far lower than sticker tuition. Literature-focused MA/PhD programmes follow similar funding patterns to other humanities fields, with PhDs commonly running 5-7 years.
Undergraduate tuition varies by country — US private universities commonly list $55,000-$65,000+ per year before aid, UK universities are typically £20,000-£35,000 per year for international students, and many continental European universities charge substantially less. Confirm current tuition directly on each university's site, as these figures change annually.
Acceptance Rates (Approximate, Selectivity Context)
English-specific acceptance rates are rarely published separately from overall institutional figures. Note that dedicated creative writing programmes (MFAs in particular) are typically far more selective on a relative basis than the numbers below suggest, given very small cohort sizes.
| University / Programme Tier | Approximate Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|
| Most selective (Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, Princeton) | ~3-6% (undergraduate, overall university) |
| Highly selective (Berkeley, UCL, Stanford) | ~4-20% |
| Top creative writing MFAs (Iowa Writers' Workshop, etc.) | Often in the low single digits, given tiny cohort sizes — confirm current figures directly |
| Selective (UEA, Edinburgh, Toronto) | ~15-40%+ |
Confirm current, programme-specific figures directly with each department rather than relying on university-wide numbers, especially for creative writing tracks.
Prepare for IELTS with Gabble — once you've shortlisted programmes, make sure your English test score isn't what holds your application back. Or prepare for TOEFL if your target schools lean TOEFL.